New advert shows texting at wheel twice as dangerous as drink driving

Texting at the wheel is twice as dangerous as drink driving, a new online and cinema advert highlights to coincide with penalties doubling today.

Using a mobile phone at the wheel could cost some drivers their licences from today. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Motorists caught using a mobile device within two years of passing their driving test face losing their licence.

Others will see minimum fines increased from £100 to £200, along with six penalty points added to licences compared to the previous three.

The advert, by the AA motoring group, illustrates that drivers are twice as likely to crash while texting than drink driving.

It goes online today and will be in cinemas from Friday.

The advert shows a woman texting as she drives her drunk partner home from a night club, prompting him to ask “Don’t you think I should be driving?” She replies: “Yeah, what was I thinking.”

AA president Edmund King said: “There has been much rhetoric about making text driving as socially unacceptable as drink driving.

“We have seen excellent drink-drive campaigns over the decades that have changed attitudes.

“We believe our new ad builds on the success of those drink-drive campaigns and makes text driving as socially unacceptable as drink driving.

“We need to break this addiction and the best way is for drivers to go cold turkey – turn off the phone and put it in the glove box.”